EXCLUSIVE: Q&A with AJ Mitchell on 'Spring Break' and upcoming debut album
Off the back of viral hits such as ‘Slow Dance’, ‘Used to Be’ and ‘All My Friends’, AJ Mitchell readies his hotly-anticipated debut record.
Due out later this year, Skyview sees the exciting pop meets R&B pioneer arrive in full. AJ Mitchell chats to CelebMix about latest single ‘Spring Break’ and plans for the year ahead…
Q: Hi AJ, thanks for chatting to CelebMix during these mad times! First off, how are you doing?
A: Of course, thanks for having me! I’m doing great, just trying to find new things to do while I’m at home haha.
Q: Let’s start with your latest single ‘Spring Break’ with Rich The Kid. How did that collaboration come about?
A: Well pretty much right after I cut it, I realized a rap feature would really tie it all together, especially because the song is already more hip-hop leaning as is. I’ve been a fan of Rich The Kid’s for a while now, so he seemed like a perfect fit for the song. I’m so happy he was able to jump on the track.
Q: In the music video, you’re on your own Spring Break getaway – it looks like a pretty fun music video to film? Can you tell me about how the concept came to be?
A: The song & video are all about the idea that anywhere can be Spring Break; that Spring Break is really just a mindset. At the start of the video my bedroom starts to become the beach until eventually, my bed ends up literally on the beach. With everything going on right now, the video has a whole new meaning to me because we’re all forced to make our bedroom our Spring Break. We might not be able to control what’s happening right now, but we can choose to decide how we deal with it.
Q: Spring Break has obviously been put on hold a little this year, but, what would be the perfect way to spend the holiday for you?
At the moment, anything sounds nice to me. Maybe a getaway to Hawaii with a couple of my good friends.
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Q: You’ve got a knack of choosing some pretty cool collaborations, Ava Max jumped on ‘Slow Dance’ last year with great success. How’s it been seeing that track do so well? There’s a real mix of pop and R&B in your tracks, who or what would you say are the biggest influences in your music?
A: Oh man, there are so many. Some of my favorites are Lil Wayne, Bruno Mars, The Beatles and Coldplay.
Q: Your debut album, ‘Skyview’, arrives this year. What can fans expect from the record?
A: I’ve poured my heart and soul into this album. I’ve spent 2+ years writing and recording it so I can’t wait to finally put it out into the world. I’ve never wanted to be defined by one genre so there’s something for everyone on it.
Q: ‘Skyview’ is named after a drive-in movie theatre in your home town of Belleville, what made you choose that as the record’s name?
A: Yeah, Skyview is where I spent a lot of my childhood and it’s a place where my parents and even grandparents went. It’s definitely a special place for me. Skyview’s always reminded me of home, it’s like a little piece of me.
Q: Finally, since we are talking of Skyview, what’s the best film you ever saw at the theatre there?
A: From what I can remember, I think the best film I saw there was Transformers, mostly because it was where I took my first date. So how could I forget?!
Are you an AJ Mitchell fan? Looking forward to the singer’s debut record? Let us know @CelebMix on Twitter.
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